Characterization of tinnitus by tinnitus patients.

A questionnaire was administered to 528 tinnitus patients to obtain data on their reactions to tinnitus. Results include a discussion of: (a) population characteristics, (b) perceptual characteristics, (c) the impact of tinnitus on daily life, and (d) etiology. Significant gender differences are also discussed. Tinnitus was not an occasional phenomenon, but was present for more than 26 days per month in 74% of the patients. Other important findings about tinnitus include: (a) Hearing levels at 1000 and 4000 Hz were less than or equal to 25 dB HL for 18% of the tinnitus patients, which suggests that some patients had normal hearing or mild hearing losses; (b) the prevalence of tinnitus in patients with noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) was 30% for males and only 3% for females; (c) about 25% of the patients reported tinnitus severity had increased since tinnitus onset; (d) the effects of tinnitus were more severe in patients who reported tinnitus as their primary complaint and in patients diagnosed as having Ménière's syndrome tinnitus; and (e) some patients reported that noise exacerbated their tinnitus, whereas others reported that a quiet background exacerbated their tinnitus.